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Only one deep hive body for my area....confused about process.

I did ask in the live chat, so no offense, I just need some more input. Hard for me to follow there.

I live in Texas, zone 8b. I purchased my equipment and want to have two hives and collect some honey for ourselves. However, my kits and parts that I ordered mean I have three deep bodies and two medium hive bodies. My plan was to run the deep hive bodies until they got 7 out of 10 frames filled, then put on the excluder and put my medium super on and wait for it to fill up with honey. So...

1.) I am now confused as to whether one deep is enough to properly keep my bees from swarming and keep honey for myself.

2.) If it is enough, when do I put on my queen excluder and my medium honey supers if I am only running a single deep hive body??

I asked specifically about this when I ordered my equipment, and I was told this is all I needed. But, the more I read, the more Im not so sure.

Re: Only one deep hive body for my area....confused about process.

I am South of Houston and run two deeps (or 3 med. supers) for brood chambers as I would rather err or the side of plenty of room vs. maybe enough. I plan on two med. supers for harvest (above the excluder) and would add the second under the initial med. when it has 7 full. I will not pull the super until it is all capped and also run both top and bottom entrances (I will crush & strain). I just started in June of 2012 so what I have learned is from LOTS of reading. Michael Bush's resource to the right is a good one (I also bought the ebook), Beekeeping for Dummies, and lots of others. I am also going to start 2 all med super hives, 10 frame Langs., in April. Best of luck and listen to the bees.

Re: Only one deep hive body for my area....confused about process.

You will need to get the bees working above the queen excluder. Either add the first planned honey super for a week or so, to get the bees up there and working or move up a couple of frames of brood and just install the queen excluder - bees will stay with the brood.

The last option works far better when you have all the same size frames - all deep supers or all medium supers.

If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got!

Re: Only one deep hive body for my area....confused about process.

Originally Posted by mgolden

You will need to get the bees working above the queen excluder. Either add the first planned honey super for a week or so, to get the bees up there and working or move up a couple of frames of brood and just install the queen excluder - bees will stay with the brood.

The last option works far better when you have all the same size frames - all deep supers or all medium supers.

Good point! I have just put a med. frame in the middle of the deep brood area each of my hives to have them build out for my new hives in April (good to have comb & brood to start a hive) that are going to be all med. super hives. I just may expand this to get ready for putting my supers on, after I take the feeders off. Just make sure when you move the frame above the excluder that the queen is not on it.....
I will be running all foundationless in my supers as I am crush and strain.

Re: Only one deep hive body for my area....confused about process.

Please only add supers as needed. As needed means every frame they have is 70 to 80 percent full of brood or food, not drawn out, full of brood or food.
The end state going into winter is a matter of region and personal preference.
If you do not get the first part, please share your experience when the small hive beetles destroy your hive.

Re: Only one deep hive body for my area....confused about process.

Personally, i wouldn't use a queen excluder. I only use mine for certain manipulations and even then quite rarely. I know lots of people swear by them though so its a personal choice. As for how much honey your bees need for winter remember, honey in comb doesn't spoil (if undisturbed) so if they dont use it this winter then they may need it the next. Here in TN i know plenty of beeks that overwinter in 1 deep and plenty more in 2 deeps. I used to go for 2 deeps just to be on the safe side but am switching to all med equip so from now on it will be 3 meds. Since it is your first year i would concentrate more on getting your colonies up to strength with good stores rather than taking off honey. What are you starting with? package? nuc? feral swarm? In a good year a nuc will produce a little spare honey. In a killer year a package might even but unlikely. Americasbeekeeper also brings up a good point as well, watch out for those SHB. Too much room too fast is asking for trouble but dont let the brood nest get crowded. Michael Bush's website is a good resource for such topics. BTW, welcome to beekeeping, learn all you can and have fun.

Re: Only one deep hive body for my area....confused about process.

If I used one deep instead of two, would that preclude the issue of incompatibility between bodies/frames? If I had one deep and the rest mediums, there is really never any reason I would have to switch some mediums into the deep like I would if I had two deeps right?